FNS Approves Three Additional ZIP Codes for Red River DSNAP

BATON ROUGE - The Louisiana Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) today received approval from the federal Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) for additional ZIP codes in Red River Parish that were impacted by recent floods to be added to the Disaster Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (DSNAP). Beginning Saturday, April 2, Red River parish ZIP codes 71052, 71034, and 71115 may apply for disaster food benefits.

The Red River DSNAP site is located at the Department of Children and Family Services office at 5040 Cutoff Road, Coushatta 71019 and is open from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.

To minimize wait times, applicants and anyone who pre-registered for benefits should go to the DSNAP location on the day indicated by the first letter of their last name.

• Saturday, April 2 - A-K
• Sunday, April 3 - L-Z

Red River residents living in ZIP code 71019 are still eligible to apply for DSNAP this week.

DSNAP applicants MUST go to a specified DSNAP site to apply and receive benefits, if eligible. Applicants may name an Authorized Representative to go to a DSNAP site on their behalf. Authorized representatives must bring with them to the DSNAP site a picture ID and the picture ID of the applicant/head of household along with a signed statement from the applicant/head of household or an adult household member authorizing them as a representative.

Accommodations will be made for the elderly and those with disabilities to reduce on-site wait times.

Regular SNAP households DO NOT need to apply for DSNAP. The program is only for residents who are not currently on the SNAP program.

To help expedite the application process, DCFS is encouraging residents in all affected areas to pre-register for DSNAP benefits. The best way to do this is online at www.dcfs.la.gov/dsnap. However, residents can also pre-register by phone at 1-888-LAHELP-U (1-888-524-3578) daily between 7 a.m. and 8 p.m. Callers will select the appropriate language and then select options 3 and 3. Residents who are already pre-registered do not have to pre-register again, but they should update their information if it is not current. All pre-registrants will have to provide the following information:

• Name, Social Security Number, and Date of Birth for each household member
• Current address and parish of household
• Monthly income for each household member
• All liquid assets for each household member (cash on hand, checking, savings)
• The information will be kept securely on file and will be confidential.

Pre-registration does not guarantee benefits, but is designed to save time, minimize long waits, and prevent applicants from coming to the site only to find out that they do not have the right information needed to apply.

As with all programs, DCFS works to ensure this program and others are available for eligible applicants by aggressively protecting against fraud in benefits programs year round. Strong safeguards are in place to ensure that only eligible citizens receive DSNAP benefits, to identify those who are dishonest about their eligibility, and to pursue recoupment and/or prosecution.

If you believe that someone fraudulently received DSNAP benefits, report it online at www.dcfs.la.gov/ReportFraud or by phone at 1-888-LA-HELPU (1-888-524-3578) and select option 7.